On schedule last week I transplanted the fall cauliflower crop into soil with good moisture content from the recent rains. I carefully watered the transplants daily under the unrelenting sun. Although the transplants were healthy and in good condition, they struggled to take root as the soil temperatures rose. Sorry to report, the mortality rate was over 50%...oh the struggles we face! In the Atlanta region we average only 15 days all summer with temperatures above 90 degrees, this July we've had more than that with a lot of days into the mid 90's.
  I had a 2 flats of transplants unplanted so 3 things I did this week. First I put in the extra transplants then I shaded both bed of transplants. Sad to say, had I shaded the transplants originally I wouldn't be having this problem now. A hard lesson relearned, some years I need to shade, some years I don't. This was one of those years. I also started a couple new flats of cauliflower seeds and I will get those in the ground as soon as they are up and growing. With the shade cloth, I can put out the transplants sooner and hopefully the crop won't be too late. It's amazing how just a little bit of protection will keep the soil from getting too hot to establish transplants or start seeds.
  Last week I also started the first of the broccoli seed plantings. I'll do two crops of broccoli spread two weeks apart so last week was the first to be started. Next week I'll start the second crop of broccoli. While I was at it last week I started a crop of cabbage for the fall. Cabbage does better in the spring but the variety I grew this spring did exceptionally well so I thought I'd give it a try this fall. I'll get the cabbage transplants in the ground in about 2 weeks under shade if necessary.
  So word to the wise, if you are planting anything over the next few weeks, if the temps stay elevated, a little bit of temporary shade will help your planting get established.
 

  Growing up, learning to play horseshoes, I learned the object was to toss your horseshoes closest to the stake. In horseshoes, close counts. Then sometime in my youth while watching war movies, I learned that close counts in hand grenades also. Later, during my Air Forces days while reviewing war plans in the vault with all the secret war plans, I learned the close really counts in thermonuclear warfare.
  But one place close doesn't count is the community garden compost pile. The refuse you take to the compost bin is either in the bin or it's not. If it is outside the bin, guess what, someone else has to pick up after you. We're all adults here so please do me a favor, put your refuse inside the confines of the compost bin. Not on the edge, not "it looks like it's in" but actually inside the confines of the bin.
  On a related note, next year when you want to get a wheelbarrow load of wonderful rich compost for your garden from our bin, the last thing you want is to find trash. It is a bit disheartening to find plastic plant tags littering the compost. So let's all work together to keep plastic of all kinds out of the compost pile.

  We have officially entered the dog days of summer. The next 4 weeks should be the hottest, muggiest days we have to tolerate. And tolerate is the word. We work in our gardens when we have to, take plenty of breaks, and drink lots of water to replace the sweat. With all the rain we've had, the rain now totals 7" above normal for the year, I've got lots of weeds. Of course, lots of weeds simply adds to my workload in these hot humid dog days.
  Denise stopped by the farmers market this week lamenting the miserable conditions...hot,humid and lots of weeds, and in the general frame of mind that this gardening thing is just not worth all the effort. I surely relate but anything worth doing is worth doing even when the going is tough. In a few weeks we'll start planting for the fall harvest and before we know it these dog days will be behind us and we'll be enjoying the best gardening season of the year.
  So hang with me folks, we'll all get through this together.
  Today I finished digging my potato crop. Potatoes did so-so for me this year, the rain made the crop scabby and in some cases the rain was too much and the plants couldn't handle all that water. Tomato crop is the best I've had in several years, we've had extra to take to the food bank so we have been blessed indeed. Tomatoes are the highlight of the season but the crop quickly fades and that 4 week window of production will be over soon. Gather your tomatoes often, enjoy your harvest, and share your bounty.